Animal-trap.



No. 67l524.. Patented A 9 I90 a, MALLING.

ANIMAL TRAP.

(Application filed-July 19, 1900.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV MALLING,. OF NORTH EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 671,524, dated April9, 1901.

Application filed July 19 1900. Serial No. 24,146- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV MALLING, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of North Evanston, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAnimal- Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has particular reference to choke-traps for catching miceand other small animals. Its main Objects are, first, to facilitatesetting the trap, and, second, to insure the free operation of thechoker.

The minor objects of the diiferent parts with which I put my inventioninto practice will be understood from the following description, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top planof a trap constructed according to my invention and being partly brokenaway. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a-front elevation.Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is abottom plan of said trap, partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a plan of ahooked wire which I use for passing the strings through the verticalapertures in the block in the operation of setting the trap.

The device shown in the drawings consists. mainly of a block 1, having avertical channel 2, compartments 3, intersected by said channel,spring-arms 4, carrying the chokers 5, catches 6 for engaging thespring-arms, the string 7, passing through apertures 8 in the block, andthe spring-tongues 9 and 10, by which the ends of the strings areengaged.

The apertures 8 extend through the top and bottom of the block,intersecting the compartments 3, so as to permit the strings 7 to bepassed through said compartments in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4.The arms 4 have their rear ends driven into the back of the block at 11and are also secured bythe staples 12. The arms 4 are coiled to form thesprings 13 and have theirforward ends bent over to form the loops 14.The chokers 5 are formed of Wire, having the free ends 15 looped overthe arms 4. Said chokers thus hang freely from the arms 4 and have notendency to bind against the wallsof the channel 2 when the spring-arms4 are released and carry the chokers upwardly in said channel.

The catches 6 are seated in a groove 16 in the top of the block and arelooped around the pins 17. The pins 17 are driven through the front ofthe block, passing through the channel 2 and groove 16. Said pins serveboth as pivots for the catches 6 and as stops for limiting the upwardmovement of the chokers 5.

The spring-tongues 9 and 10 are made of a single piece of wire coiled at18 around the large staple 19, which is driven into the bottom of theblock. A pair. of smaller staples 20 are driven into the block, so as toengage the staple l9 and also to prevent side movement of thespring-tongues 9 and 10. The coil 18 causes the tongues 9 and 10 to bearfirmly against the bottom of the block and engage the strings, as shownin Figs. 3 and 5.

A pocket 21 is provided in the side of the block for holding the hookedWire 22 when not in use. The lid 23 is pivoted to the block at 24 andmay be turned from the position shown in Fig. 2, so as to cover thepocket 21. The staple 25 is driven into said block and is designed tolimit the movement of the lid 23. 26 represents a staple driven into thebottom of the block, near the front, forsupporting said block in ahorizontal position, the same serving as such support, together with thecoils 18.

The operation of the device is as follows: Before setting the trap theoperator will move the catches 6 into the position shown at the middleof Fig. 5, said catches engaging their respective arms 4, the armshaving been first depressed by the operator. The operator will now windone end of the string 7around one of the tongues 9 or 10 and will thenpass the string through the apertures 8 and over the arm 4. He will thenWind the free end of said string around said tongue. It will be seenthat the pressure of the tongue against the bottom of the block willsecurelyhold the ends of said string. It will-be seen that the block maybe made with any desired number of compartments 3 and that thespring-arm and choker for each compartment will be set in similarmanner, as before described. After the strings 7 have been secured overthe spring-arms 4 the catches 6 will be thrown back, as shown at theleft of Fig. 3. The

arms 4 will then be held entirely by the strings 7. The bait will be putinto the rear of the compartments 3, as shown at 27 in Fig. 4:. Some ofthe bait may also be rubbed or sprinkled on the strings 7. The mouse inattempting to enter to the rear of the compartment where the bait iskept will gnaw through one of the strings 7. This will release the arm4, causing same to carry its respective choker 5 upwardly, as shown atthe right of Fig. 3.

It will be seen that the minor details of the device shown, such as theform of the springs and the means for connecting the parts, may bealtered without departing from the spirit of my invention. Ithereforedopot confine myselfto such details except as hereinafter limited in theclaims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. An animal-trap comprising a block having a compartment therein openat the front, a channel intersecting the compartment and extendingthrough the top of the block to a point below the compartment, a groovein the top of the block extending along and rearward of said channel,and a pair of apertures extending through the top and bottom of theblock and intersecting the compartment at a place rearward of saidchannel; a spring-arm secured to the block and extending over the top ofsame to a point forward of said channel; a choker vertically movable insaid channel, being of greater diameter than the compartment, andpivotally connected to the spring-arm; a catch pivotally seated in saidgroove and adapted to engage said springarm; aspring-tongue secured toand bearing against the bottom of the block; and a string looped overthe spring-arm, passing through said apertures, controlling the entranceto said compartment, and having its ends engaged between saidspring-tongue and block,

substantially as described.

2. An animal-trap comprisinga block having a compartment therein open atthe front, a channel intersecting the compartment and extending throughthe top of the block to a point below the compartment, a groove in thetop of the block extending along and rearward of said channel, and apair of apertures extending through the top and bottom of the block andintersecting the compartment at a place rearward of said channel; aspring-arm secured to the block, and extending over the top of same to apoint forward of said channel; a choker vertically movable in saidchannel, being of greater diameter than the compartment, and pivotallyconnected to the spring-arm; a catch pivotally seated in said groove andadapted to engage said springarm; means on the block for securing theends of a string; and a string looped over the spring-arm, passingthrough said apertures, controlling the entrance to said compartment,and secured to said means, substantially as described.

3. An animal-trap comprising a block having a compartment therein openat the front, a channel intersecting the compartment and extendingthrough the top of the block to a point below the compartment, and anaperture extending through the top and bottom of the block andintersecting the compartment at a place rearward of said channel; aspring-arm secured to the block and extending over the top of same to apoint forward of said channel; a choker vertically movable in saidchannel, being of greater diameter than the compartment and pivotallyconnected to the spring-arm; a'catch pivotally secured to the top of theblock and adapted to engage said spring-arm; means on the block forsecuring the ends of a string; and a string looped over the spring-arm,passing through said aperture, controlling the entrance to saidcompartment and secured to said means, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 17th day of July, 1900. r

GUSTAV MALLING. Witnesses:

WM. R. RUMMLER, GLEN C. STEPHENS.

